50 Days to Pentecost: What were they waiting for?

Imagine. It’s just days after the empty tomb. You’ve spent time with Jesus. You’ve seen the scars in his hands and enjoyed breakfast of broiled fish on the beach. Your faith in Jesus is revived. Your hopes for God’s kingdom have been resurrected. Your mission has been restored. So, what was next?

Why, after the resurrection, did Jesus tell them to stop, stay, and wait?

“Don’t leave Jerusalem,” Jesus said. “Wait for the gift of my Spirit.”

But what were they waiting for?

What would the outpouring of the Spirit mean?

At the time, Jesus had mentioned power for witness (Luke 24:29, Acts 1:8). Earlier, he had talked about the Spirit communicating with them (John 14-16).

But even before then was the witness of the Hebrew prophets. They had spoken many times about this moment in history. They had looked forward to a time when the Spirit would inaugurate a new season and it would forever change their relationship with God.

The question is how.

Moses hoped that God’s Spirit would come on everyone, so that we could prophesy just like him. (Numbers 11:29)

Jeremiah promised that God’s Spirit would write his law on our hearts, so that we wouldn’t need a neighbour to ‘know the Lord’, for we would all know God for ourselves. (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

Isaiah promised that the Spirit would allow God’s words to remain on our lips and the lips of our descendants forever. (Isaiah 59:21)

Ezekiel said that the Spirit would replace our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh so that we would follow God’s decrees. (Ezekiel 36:26,27)

Joel promised that the Spirit would enable all people (sons and daughters, young and old) to prophesy and receive visions and dreams from God. (Joel 2:28)

Can you see the common theme?

The Old Covenant prophets all understood that the Spirit brings revelation. That’s why the Spirit was often called the “Spirit of prophecy.” In nearly every case where the Spirit is mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, it is in reference to God speaking. The Creator God is depicted as deeply personal who invites people into interpersonal relationship through two-way communication.

God spoke to fulfil the divine purpose on earth. God’s words carried authority and the ability to fulfil themselves, as well as reflecting God’s character, bringing love, truth, healing and wisdom. For Amos, God did nothing without first revealing it prophetically (Amos 3:7). When God spoke, people were called to listen, act on the message and see the divine plan come to pass in their lives.

In the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost, the disciples knew what they were waiting for. They knew it would be a gamechanger. They knew it would not be just for the “chosen” ones, but for anyone who called on God’s name. They knew that sons and daughters, young and old would be able to receive direct revelation from God and that would change everything. It was a gift that would change everything and it was well worth waiting for.